


Lookalikes

by ilovebeingalesbian



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Angst, Character Death, Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mild Language, No Romance, Self-Hatred, Tragedy/Comedy, no beta read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:41:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28365585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilovebeingalesbian/pseuds/ilovebeingalesbian
Summary: (DAD!SCHLATT AU)Tubbo hated everything that reminded him and that looked like his father. The funny thing was, Tubbo happened to be the perfect replica of Schlatt.
Relationships: Jschlatt & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Ranboo & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Comments: 6
Kudos: 108





	Lookalikes

**Author's Note:**

> note: this fic may not exactly line up with the events that have happened on the dreamsmp but everything happens in chronological order.  
> p.s. there was no beta read so we die like men 
> 
> enjoy!

The first time Tubbo ever realized he looked anything like his father was the day one small horn began to poke its way out of his hair. He was only five at the time and remembered how he cried on and on about the fact his other horn wasn't growing yet. Tubbo was so freaked out that he only had one horn that nothing seemed to calm him down. His father tried different tactics for hours on end to get him to stop crying; pretending he didn't care, gently reassuring him, telling him to stop, even trying to out cry Tubbo, but after all that failed, Schlatt had finally managed to find a way; giving Tubbo a stuffed bee he had been wanting for his birthday.

As soon as Tubbo was given his bee, his tears instantly stopped as he reached to take the toy out of Schlatt's hands and to give it a hug. Schlatt fell to the ground in a lump. "Jesus Christ, why can you cry for that long?" He groaned, looking at his son. "And then instantly stop? What the fuck, little guy."

"Fuck," Tubbo repeated.

"No!" Schlatt exclaimed. "You can't say that," He paused for a second. "Yeah, you can't say that."

Tubbo giggled at his father and rocked back and forth with his bee clutched tightly to his chest. His father smiled at his son, more than relieved to see that he seemed to be done with his crying. "Are you gonna tell me why you were so upset or are you gonna make me guess?"

Tubbo stopped rocking and the two sat in silence for a moment before he frowned softly. "I only have one horn," Tubbo whispered.

"One horn?" Schlatt repeated and Tubbo nodded. "You were upset because you only have one horn?" His son nodded again. "Why is that a big deal?"

"Because!"

"Going to need more of a reason than 'because'."

"Because you have two horns!" Tubbo replied. "And I only have one. And it's small, really, really small! And nothing like yours and I hate it."

"I'm sure you don't hate it, Tubbo," Schlatt said gently. 

"Well I do! I don't wanna have a- a stupid little horn because... it's stupid. I want horns like yours," Tubbo pointed up at his fathers large ram horns. "Everyone thinks they're cool and I wanna be cool like you."

Schlatt snorted. "I'm glad that everyone thinks that but your horn definitely isn't stupid."

"But it's small!" Tubbo argued. 

"Yeah, it is," Schlatt agreed and his son looked betrayed. "But that's not a bad thing," he quickly added.

"It's not?"

His father shook his head, "Nope." He stood up and stretched his arms before he bent down to pick Tubbo up. "Let me show you something, little guy," he said and walked over to the mirror at the end of Tubbo's bedroom. "What do you see?" He asked.

"You and me," Tubbo answered.

"That's right, but I also see something else."

Tubbo looked up at his father, "You do?" and Schlatt nodded. "What is it?"

He looked down at his son and then back into the mirror. "I see my son who looked just like me as a kid," he replied and Tubbo gasped. "Really?" asked Tubbo and Schlatt nodded again.

"The brown curly hair and the one little horn, you are a spitting image of a younger me," he responded. "And if you are anything like me, Tubbo, in no time at all your horns will grow in. Both of them."

"And they'll look just as cool as yours?"

"Even cooler."

When Tubbo was seven, his other horn had finally grown in. It was a little smaller than his first horn and for some reason it impacted his balance, but it was there and noticable nonetheless.

The second horn had grown slower than the other, so each day Schlatt and Tubbo would measure it to see the growth. It took a month and a half for the horn to grow enough for it to poke out of his hair and the day Tubbo woke up to find ut fully poking out of his hair, he was ecstatic. He stood infront of his mirror for thirty minutes, just staring at it with a dumb grin on his face, before he realized he had to tell his father.

Tubbo ran to his bed and grabbed his bee before he ran out of his room to find Schlatt. He wasn't still sleeping or in the restroom so Tubbo made his way down stairs before stopping suddenly when he heard his father talking. He never liked to interrupt people, it made him feel bad, so Tubbo crept closer down the stairs to see and hear what was going on.

Schlatt was pacing back and fourth infront of the kitchen table, with his head in his hands. "I don't know what to do anymore," Schlatt seemed to force out. "I haven't eaten in two days and the little guy has barely eaten anything, I-I just don't know what to do, Phil, I don't know."

The man sitting at the table, Phil, wore his long blonde hair in a bun and wore some sort of funny hat that Tubbo instantly liked but he didn't like the look in Phil's eyes. They looked sad. "And that's why you asked Wilbur to talk with me," Phil said.

Schlatt nodded and pulled his hands down. "Your son's a savior, he helps me when he can and brings me food when I haven't eaten in days."

"He kept it secret from me," Phil stated.

"I asked him to."

"You still have a lot of pride."

His father laughed bitterly. "It's one of the only things I got left. Dignity is already out the door."

"You've been a good friend to Wilbur," Phil muttered. "If I didn't help you, Wil would be upset and I would be upset with myself too. You're a good kid, Schlatt. I'll help you however I can."

"Help dad?" Tubbo thought to himself.

Schlatt stopped pacing. "So you'll do it? You'll take Tubbo with you?"

"Take me away?" Tubbo whispered, holding his bee tight.

Phil nodded and sat up. And Schlatt let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, thank you so much. You'll be good for him," he said. "Please remember he's shy at times and really loves honey for whatever reason. Green is his absolute favorite color and he really likes swords, plus bees are his favorite."

"I know," Phil said with a sympathetic smile. "You've told me many times before."

Schlatt smiled back and opened his mouth to reply when he was suddenly interrupted. "Don't get rid of me!" Tubbo cried and both adults turned to the stairs. "I don't wanna go, dad! I don't, no, I won't go."

"Tubbo-" Schlatt began.

"P-please! If you love me you won't send me away, and you love me," Tubbo said with a shaky voice. "You love me, don't you, Dad? You love me!"

Schlatt walked to the stairs slowly and Tubbo could see his eyes were glossy. "Tubbo... you can't stay here anymore," he replied.

"Why!" Tubbo exclaimed. "I don't have to eat everyday, it's okay!"

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is!"

"Tubbo," Schlatt said. "It's already been decided."

Tubbo felt tears in his eyes, "No."

"You'll be happier-"

"I don't care!" He yelled and with that, Tubbo ran back up the stairs and the two heard his door slam. 

"Tubbo!" Schlatt called to him, starting to climb the stairs when Phil grabbed his shoulder. "Schlatt, you have to go," Phil reminded him gently.

Schlatt looked back at him with a blank expression on his face and then back up the stairs, "Take good care of him til I get back, okay?"

"I promise I will," Phil replied and with that his father left.

After that, Tubbo started to hate his horns but that hatred only lasted until he was ten. At this point he had been living with Phil and his three son's ever since his father left. For the first three years, Tubbo hardly slept or ate, he hated bathing and would stay in his room whenever he could. Nobody was mean to him; Phil taught him a lot of things and always made sure he was okay, Wilbur was always nice to him and on Tubbo's last three birthdays, he played all the songs he liked all day long, and Techno showed Tubbo how to handle swords, despite protests from Phil. Tubbo was treated kindly and lived wonderfully and he himself was very kind to the family, but he never could seem to feel happy.

But then there was the youngest brother, Tommy, who was a little bit younger than Tubbo himself.

Tommy wasn't anything special. He didn't seem to have any special talents like Wilbur with music and Techno with swords, but he was loud and rude and messed with Tubbo's horns whenever he got the chance. His favorite color was red, he loved music discs, and he had very shinny braces that gave him a lisp. Tubbo didn't like Tommy during the first three years, he was actually very intimidated of him, but in the end, Tommy was the one that changed Tubbo's world. Tommy was the one who made his world bright again.

"Your horns are really cool," Tommy said, sitting on the windowsill of Tubbo's bedroom.

When he was ten, Tubbo's horns were still uneven, but they were strong and a brilliant white. They were large enough to where they were starting to curl downwards, but just slightly. "Why?" Tubbo asked, sitting on his bed. "They're annoying."

"They make you look royal, like a king or something," Tommy replied. "Like you have the blood of a warrior."

Tubbo snorted. "Blood of a warrior?" He questioned.

Tommy smiled, "Don't laugh! You get what I mean. It's like you would think someone with horns like those would be a powerhouse kinda guy, totally ripped, that smiles and flexes all the time just because he can."

"You think I'm ripped?" Tubbo asked absent mindedly, playing with his bee.

"No, I think you're sad."

Tubbo looked up at Tommy, "Like, pathetic?"

Tommy shook his head. "You aren't pathetic, but you're sad sad," he replied. "Like you're in a funk."

Tubbo shrugged, "You aren't wrong."

"So why are you sad, Tubbo?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Because you're kinda like my brother," Tommy answered. "And I hate when my brothers are sad."

Tubbo stayed silent, so Tommy continued talking. "Do your horns make you sad? Is that why their annoying? Or maybe you don't like it here and you wanna go home. Do you have a home? Or a family? You gotta have a family."

"Yes and no and I don't know to everything you said," Tubbo said. "Yes, my horns make me sad. No, I do like it here and no, I don't want to go home. I don't even know if I have a home and my dad left. So- I guess I don't have a home."

The two stayed silent for a while after Tubbo answered, Tommy staring at Tubbo, his eyes showed that he was thinking intensely and the other had to look away. Suddenly, Tommy marched over to Tubbo and the other looked up with a confused expression that turned into surprise when Tommy grabbed his horns.

"Hey!" He yelped.

"Stop being sad!" Tommy practically yelled in Tubbo's face.

"It doesn't work like that!" Tubbo yelled back.

"I know!" Tommy replied. "But it's been three years and I know that it hurts, Tubbo, but I don't wanna see my friend waste away!"

"Brother and now friend?"

"Yes!" Tommy rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry your dad left, that sucks. Like, it really sucks, but it's happened and you're here now. We love you here, and we want you to be happy and you can't be happy when you hate a part of yourself," Tommy tapped slightly on Tubbo's horns. "Whether you know it or not, those horns look badass! You are badass! Ass!" Tommy screamed. "Look, you don't have to be happy if you don't want to be, I know you can't go from sad to happy in a second, but I can help you," Tommy let go of his horns and put out his hand. "So let's leave your sadness behind and go on an adventure! We can start there and work our way until you aren't sad anymore and then you'll be ripped and you'll smile! Whaddya say?"

Tubbo hesitated before he took Tommy's hand.

At sixteen, his horns seemed to stop growing. By then they had finally curved behind his ears and his second horn was now longer than the first. Tubbo had begun to like his horns again, even though it still was annoying whenever Tommy messed with them. He had figured out a rhythm of how to comb the hair around them and sometimes he would put small bags on the ends of them when he didn't want to carry things.

Tubbo was happy in life. Sure, there was a revolution that just went down or something and that Dream guy, man he was funky, caused a lot of trouble but Tubbo was happy. They, Tommy, Wilbur, Fundy, and everyone else had won and now they were moving on to elections for the new president of L'Manberg. Tubbo couldn't lie that he thought things were moving too fast but his best friend was ecstatic, so he didn't really mind.

"Imagine," Tommy said in a dramatic voice. He walked back and fourth in front of the bench Tubbo was sitting on, holding a stick in the air like a sword. "The dawn rises on a new day."

"The sky is perfect without a cloud in sight," Tubbo smiles, having heard this same spiel from Tommy every day for the past week since Wilbur decided to run for the office of President and announced Tommy would be his vice president.

Tommy grinned, "I'm standing on the podium."

"Right next to Wilbur."

"And then they announce-"

"Us as the winners!" the two say in unison. Tommy fell on the bench and threw his arms up in the air. "And they crowd goes wild because we are awesome," he finishes.

Tubbo looked at his friend and shook his head, "You're too young to want to be president, Tommy, y'know that?"

"No I'm not!" Tommy protested and Tubbo looked at him with an amused expression. "I'm not! Fuck you."

They laughed gently together for a while before the both of them relaxed. They sat side by side on their bench, Tommy abandoning his stick, and they watched the sun set behind their home. "You know this is going to sound sappy, Tubbo," Tommy spoke. "But I'm glad you moved in with us all those years ago."

Tubbo looked away from the sun to look at his best friend. "Yeah, that is sappy."

"Dude, don't make me pull your horns."

"Sorry, sorry."

"You've helped me out a lot and I don't know where I'd be without you."

Tubbo tilted his head, "Where is this coming from? I'm not unhappy to hear it but-"

"I tease you all the time and that war was kinda scary and shit so I felt I should say this just incase..." 

"Tommy-" 

"Anyways," Tommy interrupted. "I'm lucky to have a friend like you, man. That's it, that's what I wanted to say."

"I'm lucky to have you too, Tommy," he smiled. Tommy reached over and, in a friendly way, punched Tubbo in the shoulder before standing up. Punching his shoulder was the way Tommy said "I love you" in friend lingo, as Tubbo had learned over the last nine years of knowing him. 

"I have to get going, Wilbur is waiting for me," Tommy said. "We gotta go over campaign slogans! See you at my place tomorrow?"

"8:00 sound good?"

"Ha! You're funny. 10:30."

"Presidents have to wake up early."

"10:00."

"Perfect."

"See you tomorrow," Tommy called as he walked away, waving over his shoulder.

"Bye!" Tubbo yelled, waving back. He watched and waited until Tommy disappeared before looking back over L'Manberg again. The sun had now fully set and night had fallen over his home, and Tubbo sighed as he felt a chilly breeze blow through his hair. He was happy. 

Tubbo couldn't remember how long he sat there, enjoying the night air and the sounds the crickets made, but he did remember the feeling of his heart jumping out of his chest as someone touched his shoulder. He screamed and jumped off the bench, grabbing the stick Tommy left on the ground, "I will hit you! Unless you're a woman, because I'd feel bad- but ignore that and focus on the fact I said I'd hit you!"

Someone snorted in reply. "Jeez, didn't mean to scare you like that, Turbo."

Tubbo relaxed. "Quackity!" He exclaimed. He wasn't able to see Quackity clearly but his voice and the fact he called him 'Turbo' was enough to assure Tubbo that it was nobody else but Quackity behind him. "Why'd you sneak up on me like that?"

The smaller man shrugged. "I didn't, man. I called over to you but you didn't hear me."

"Aw, really? I'm so sorry," Tubbo apologised and his eyes widened as soon as Quackity stepped into the torch light. "You're wearing a suit!"

Quackity lifted his arm to scratch the back of his neck. "No need to look so surprised," he joked. "You like it?"

"It looks great! Why are you wearing it?"

"I'm out campaigning and felt like I should strut my stuff," Quackity answered proudly. "Plus, my running-mate bought it for me and he said it looked good on me and I trust his judgement because I do look hot."

"Your... running-mate? I didn't know anyone else was running besides Tommy, Wilbur, and you," he replied.

"It's kind of a secret, Turbo," Quackity said quickly. "It's also why I came to find you."

"Me?" Tubbo was surprised.

He nodded, "He wants to meet with you," he paused. "My running-mate, that is."

"Who is he?"

"Can't say."

"Oh."

"It's odd, I know, but he insisted that you come without knowing who he was. But I promise you have nothing to worry about," Quackity reassured. "We aren't angry or anything."

Tubbo pursed his lips, unsure of the whole situation, "Where would we be meeting?"

"In the woods."

"Quackity, you are making this sound very sketchy."

"Yeah I know," the other sighed. Tubbo looked him up and down. It didn't look like he was carrying anything on him nor did he have any stains on him that could've shown that he had been in any sort of fight before coming to find him. Quackity and Tubbo hadn't had any disagreements before so it was easy to believe that it was safe to go with him, but Tubbo couldn't get the weird feeling at the bottom of his stomach to go away.

After a minute passed of milling over the situation, Tubbo spoke up, "Okay. I'll come with you."

Quackity smiled and gave him an awkward thumbs up. "Thanks, man! You coming means a lot," he said. "Now we should probably get going."

Tubbo nodded and followed Quackity down the path. As they walked, he rambled on and on the entire time, jumping from one topic to another and Tubbo politely nodded, smiled, and answered with what he hoped was a witty enough comeback but something still didn't feel quite right and the closer the two got to the forest the more Tubbo wanted to run.

He felt stupid being so worried, if it came to a fight Tubbo was at least ninety-five percent sure he could win and he was definitely faster then Quackity. Tubbo even knew that Quackity would let him leave if he wanted to so why was he feeling this way? Tubbo shook his head, "Enough," he thought to himself. "Don't worry, this guy is Tommy's friend so it makes him a friend of mine and friends don't hurt friends. Yeah, that's right. Friends don't hurt friends."

It didn't take long for the two to reach the edge of the forest and by then Tubbo couldn't turn back even if he wanted. "What's your running-mate like?" He asked, wondering if he could guess who it was.

"Sarcastic as hell for one thing," Quackity muttered. "But he's a people person and a great persuader."

Tubbo hummed lightly in response and Quackity looked him up and down. "I just noticed but you two look a little alike."

"Alike?" Tubbo questioned but Quackity didn't respond. He had already begun walking into the woods and Tubbo walked briskly to catch up to him. They hadn't gone too far into the woods when they walked upon a small wooden house with the lights on inside. A nice path led up to the home and it almost looked like a cottage but there was no decorations like flowers or chairs outside to make it feel homey.

Quackity walked up the steps and Tubbo followed, wincing at how loud the steps were. On the porch, Tubbo noticed something carved on the door and Quackity followed his gaze. "Oh, he carved that himself," Quackity pointed to the little bee carving on the door before he reached for the door-nob. The other paused for a moment before gasping lightly mid opening.

"What?" Tubbo asked.

"I just realized how you look alike!" Quackity laughed lightly. "It's the horns."

"The horns-" Tubbo began but was interrupted as Quackity swung open the door. At first, Tubbo didn't feel anything. He didn't move or blink, he just stood there with his mouth slightly hanging open. He felt his heart beat in his chest and suddenly the cold night air didn't feel so peaceful anymore. Tubbo stared and felt numb as the man before him stared back.

"Tubbo," his father said. His once messy and curly hair was now slicked back and his warm brown eyes looked colder than Tubbo had ever seen them. It looked like he was wearing an expensive suit, like Quackity was, but Tubbo could tell that it was worth a lot more than the others.

Tubbo took a step back and felt his hands shake. "Y-you..." he stuttered. "Why...?"

"Please," Schlatt commanded and Tubbo stopped in his tracks. "Sit down."

He wanted to run, scream at him, ask him why he left or say anything or do anything that would make him seem less pathetic in front of his fathers eyes. The more Tubbo wanted to act the more he shook and the more Schlatt's gaze grew colder and Tubbo felt scared. This wasn't the man who bought Tubbo the stuffed bee when he was five, or the man who helped out any way he could when they found out Tubbo was dyslexic, and he certainly wasn't the man who wouldn't eat for days just so his son could eat. His father left so many years ago but now that he was back, he wasn't that man anymore so Tubbo pulled out a chair from the table and sat down, keeping his gaze in his lap.

Schlatt stared at him, "It's been a while. Phil treat you well?"

"He was good to me," Tubbo answered softly.

His father nodded but didn't reply. Quackity was still standing at the door and he rocked back and forth on his feet. "Should I go or?" He questioned. Tubbo glanced over at him quickly and could tell the other felt uncomfortable with the atmosphere in the room.

"Yes, Alex, you can go," Schlatt waved his hand in dismissal.

"I told you not to call me that," Quackity mutterede

"Close the door on your way out."

Quackity closed the door and Tubbo felt like it was getting hard to breathe. He would never forget how his lungs seemed to stop working or how he could feel every drop of sweat on his neck drip down his back. Why was he so nervous? This man was his dad, his old man. The guy that gave him big hugs and let him mess around with his horns, the guy who gave him piggy back rides and-

"You're probably wondering where I've been these past couple of years," Schlatt spoke and Tubbo jumped. He sat on the table and pulled a cigar from his suit pocket along with a lighter. "You mind?" Tubbo shook his head. "Good," Schlatt lit the cigar and took a long breath in. "I tried to find us money and I could tell you the whole sob story of every little thing that went wrong and how I've changed and blah blah blah but I'll spare you the trouble of all that and get to the point."

Schlatt stood from the table and began to walk back and forth and Tubbo felt a flash in his eyes and remembered how he was in the same position Phil was in when he was seven but Phil had it luckier. Schlatt was nervous then but Tubbo was afraid now. 

But why was he afraid? His father hadn't done anything yet.

Yet.

Not yet.

"I dropped the 'honest living' set up I'd been pretending to live in my entire life, Tubbo. Trying all the time, looking for the good in everything and everyone but in the end the world gave up on me," Schlatt looked over to him. "So I gave up on the world!" He laughed and Tubbo felt shivers go down his spine. "Became a businessman and god, did I strike it big and then I came back for my little boy."

"And are you going to live here now?" Tubbo asked, daring to look up at his father.

"Well of course," Schlatt purred. "A president must live near his citizens along with his own son."

Tubbo's eyes widened and his father grinned. "Gosh! I let the cat out of the bag, whoopsies," he walked up to stand in front of Tubbo and took another drag from his cigar. "That's why I called for you."

"I-I'm sorry... b-but I won't vote for you," Tubbo whispered, clenching his fists so hard he felt his hands start to pulse. "I promised my-"

Schlatt put a finger to his mouth and crouched down. His dark gaze looking right into Tubbo's and Tubbo really wanted to run but he stayed put. His father talked very slowly. "I don't need your vote," he stated. "I will win without it."

Tubbo nodded and Schlatt grinned. He opened his mouth and that's when it hit Tubbo. Behind that horrible, overwhelming smell of smoke that left his mouth, Tubbo could smell the sour and pungent smell of gin and he wrinkled his nose. His father removed his finger and stood up. As he turned away Tubbo could almost think he saw the look of regret or even shame on his face but for what he didn't know. "I just want you to stand by me after I win and your promise that you won't tell anyone about this meeting or your cooperation."

Schlatt dropped his cigar and stomped it out harshly on the ground and Tubbo swallowed hard. "You'll stand by me, right Tubbo?" He asked without turning around. "What kind of son would you be if you didn't help out your own dad?"

"Fine," Tubbo said all to quickly. He just had to get out, he didn't care what he was agreeing too, he just needed out.

His father nodded his head. "Good," he replied, staying exactly as he was. "You may go now."

Tubbo muttered a goodbye and stood up from the table at a normal pace and opened and closed the door softly but swiftly. After the door shut, he stood on the porch for only a second before running off and out of the woods as fast as he could. For some reason tears streamed down his face and Tubbo could swear he could feel his father staring at him all the way to his home.

At sixteen and one third, his horns had seemed to stop growing and Tubbo had to watch his best friend, along with his brother, become banished from their home by his own father. Throughout the week after the meeting with Schlatt, he had nightmares everytime he closed his eyes and Tubbo could swear he could still smell the alcohol everytime he woke up. The daunting words "I don't need your vote, I will win without it." felt so true, like Schlatt already knew the outcome of the election but he couldn't possibly know how it would go. It was projected that Wilbur would win by a landslide, so even if Schlatt managed to pull off getting a large number of votes it was easy to assume Wilbur would still win.

It had been easy to assume because assuming was believing and believing was hoping and hope could be shattered easily, just like Tubbo's was when he realized his father and Quackity put their votes together to win the election. Just like his hope was broken down as he watched as his father cruelly laughed at Tommy and Wilbur looking scared and angry. Like how his hope was nonexistent as Tubbo felt like crying watching the boy who became his family walk away, as it felt like Schlatt was still laughing at him even when he really wasn't.

Just like Tubbo's hope was replaced by fear are his father placed his hand on Tubbo's shoulders and said, "I can't wait to work with you." 

The task of working for Schlatt was horrible. Whatever admiration and love that he held on to from his old memories evaporated as Schlatt manipulated his very move and seemed to comprehend just what Tubbo was thinking before he even knew himself. His father was so cocky and snarky, some days it made him nauseous that he was related to him and other times Tubbo couldn't help but be amazed at how easily Schlatt could slither out of his own mistakes.

There were three major things that bothered Tubbo the most; number one was that Schlatt drank constantly. In the morning, afternoon, evening, and repeat, he always had some form of alcohol with him. Quackity partly noticed and Tubbo could tell that he was concerned with his fathers habits but would always be shut down whenever he mentioned anything to Schlatt.

"Already?" Quackity would ask every morning and Schlatt would always grunt a response. Sometimes he would offer either of the two a sip on a good day, Quackity sometimes agreeing to it but Tubbo never did.

The second thing was how he treated Quackity. Schlatt was never as cruel as he was to everyone to Quackity and himself but Tubbo felt mad everytime Quackity would try to voice his opinion to Schlatt only to be turned down. His father worded everything so perfectly and sweetly that Quackity believed it all and obeyed everything he said, but that naive sensibility lasted only until the "big accident" as Tubbo called it. Quackity was a very good guy and Tubbo could tell, but he was absolutely baffled as to how he ever agreed to work with Schlatt.

The third and final thing that bothered Tubbo was how he was used as a double agent. There was no way that he was going to allow his best friend to be exiled without doing anything to help him, so Tubbo willingly volunteered himself to spy for Pogtopia but he still didn't like doing it. It felt like everytime he slipped off go speak to the outcasts or help them with their plans, Schlatt knew. It was like his father watched his every move even when he wasn't around. Tubbo could never shake the crawling and suffering fear that he was about to be caught at any moment but nothing ever happened and for some reason, Tubbo hated that.

During the time of the festival, everything was chaotic. Between helping Schlatt and Quackity with the planning and organizing, spreading the word around, and giving information to Tommy and Wilbur, it all left Tubbo emotionally drained. He felt like his life was changing too much and too fast but he never spoke about it. He didn't have the time.

He remembered how the days leading up to the event left him weary and Tubbo was thankful no one realized or spoke up about it because he didn't even know if he was able to talk about it. The immediate doom feeling that hadn't left his stomach since he saw his father for the first time in nine years grew and grew without stop. It was horrible, that feeling, but it was nothing compared to the fear Tubbo felt at the festival.

The torch lights, though mundane on the stage, felt blindingly bright to Tubbo as he couldn't help but stare up at the building where Tommy and Wilbur were waiting. He half-heartedly listened to his father talking, praying that it would be over soon, when Schlatt said his name. He had spoke it in a warm tone which shocked the crowd and which shook Tubbo to the core but nevertheless he followed his orders into the box on the stage. That's where everything went down hill.

Inside the boxed in area, Tubbo looked from the building, to the crowd, to Quackity, and then to his father who wore a sly smile on his face.

"Tubbo," Schlatt said, walking up to the box. "I have to say, you've done a real good job with your work recently. Hasn't he, Alex?"

Quackity nodded and Tubbo frowned nervously as he noticed the smaller man move in jerky movements.

"T-thank you, Schlatt," Tubbo responded. "I've been trying my very best."

"I'm sure you have, really, I'm sure," Schlatt laughed. "But I'm afraid you've been doing to much!"

"Too much?"

"Yes, yes! I mean it must get so tiring running back and forth like a little dog from me to Mr. Soot, hm?" Schlatt questioned, his smile turning into a smirk. Tubbo heard the audience gasp and he opened his mouth to deny the allegation when his father rolled his eyes and snarled to the crowd. "Oh, shut up and don't act surprised. Especially you two," he pointed to Niki and Fundy, who both flinched in response.

"Schlatt!" Tubbo cried out. "I wouldn't betray y-you! What kind of son would I be if I b-betrayed you?"

"Son?" Quackity asked, seemingly shocked. "I mean, you guys look alike but I never thought-"

"I was young," Schlatt said coldly. "And it was mistake, so don't bother asking questions." His father turned away from Quackity, pointed up to the building where Tommy and Wilbur were hiding and Tubbo felt a new wave of panic hit him. "Don't think I don't know who's up there. Hello, Wilbur!" Schlatt screamed. "It's been a while, let's catch up just like the old times. Maybe your dad will allow you to come have a playdate."

No response.

"That was rude, Wilbur," Schlatt sighed dramatically. "I know Phil taught you better but oh well. If I cant get you to come out maybe I can get you're little brother." He turned to face Tubbo in the eyes. "Are they up there Tubbo?"

Tubbo shook his head and Schlatt frowned. "That's a shame but the festival has to go on without them I suppose."

"So I get to come out of the box?" Tubbo questioned hopefully.

"No, but I do have a surprise for you," his smile returned. Schlatt looked to the other side of the stage and waved. "You can come onstage now."

Tubbo felt confused as he watched Technoblade walk up onto the stage with bow in hand and could tell the other felt uncomfortable. He walked up to Schlatt and nodded in a respectful manner. "What did you want me to do?" He questioned, looking around awkwardly.

"Shoot Tubbo," Schlatt replied if it was the easiest thing in the world.

Tubbo's eyes widened, "What?"

"What?" Technoblade repeated. "Schlatt I don't think-"

"I wasn't asking you to do that, Technoblade," Schlatt growled. "It was an order."

Technoblade stared at him, both looking stone cold, unable to read each other. After what seemed like hours to Tubbo, Technoblade sighed and walked past Schlatt to stand in front of Tubbo and raised his bow slowly. Tubbo heard the crowd grow wild but all he could focus on was the firework pointed at his chest.

"Are you really going to shoot me?" He whispered.

"I don't have a choice."

"You always have a choice."

"Did you have one?" Technoblade asked.

"I don't understand."

"Did you have a choice between helping everyone or saving yourself?"

"I choose to do what I did" Tubbo said.

Technoblade frowned, "Then I'm sorry."

The last thing he remembered was Tommy's scream from the rooftop mixed with Quackity's and Schlatt's voices as Technoblade pulled the trigger.

At sixteen and a half, Tubbo became the president of L'Manberg after the war and after his fathers death.

Tubbo still didn't like to think about that memory, and how he felt pity for Schlatt as everyone turned on him and watched him die alone. He hated remembering how his father's eyes met his own and that they seemed to say "I'm sorry" and "Maybe next time, I'll be better" as he held a bottle in his hand and died on the spot. He hated remembering the cheers of the group around and how they expected him to smile with them because yes, Schlatt was a horrible man but he was his father too.

Even when Wilbur announced him the new president, the joy and gratitude felt small compared to what it could've been if Tubbo could just get Schlatt out of his mind. "He hadn't been the same guy from your childhood, it's okay," he kept thinking to himself over and over again but his head still felt cloudy.

Then Technoblade spawned two withers and Wilbur blew up L'Manberg and at that point, Tubbo had to forget Schlatt to save himself but when everything was over, Schlatt's death still plagued his mind.

His horns still hadn't grown any longer but Tubbo had frequently gotten headaches, so he either assumed he was dying or they were about to start growing again. But even without his horns growing, at that point in time, Tubbo began to realize how many other ways he looked liked his father. The color of his hair was now the same as Schlatt's, a darker brown with faint hints of light brown mixed into it, and his hair curled in the way Schlatt's used to. Their eyes, though different shapes, were the same brown color and the way they lit up when either of them had a good idea was the same as well. When Tubbo first noticed these things, he limited the amounts of mirrors that he owned and began to comb his hair thoroughly.

At sixteen, two weeks away from his seventeenth birthday, his horns grew again, only a little though. Tubbo also banned Tommy from L'Manberg and the entirety of the nation. Both were important things to note down.

Ever since that day, the day Dream had forced him to banish Tommy, he hadn't felt himself. Of course what Tommy did was wrong and Tubbo couldn't defend the fact that he destroyed George's home but still. He should have tried to do something more! Tommy had done so much for L'Manberg, so much for Wilbur, so much for him but he had seemed to make enemies with Dream and Dream was a man that Tubbo couldn't disrespect because even though Tubbo was president, Dream would do whatever it took to get his way. So Tubbo's hands were tied.

And he banished Tommy.

"It was the right thing to do, Tubbo," Dream had told him when he came back from moving Tommy outside of the nation. "You know that."

Tubbo frowned, "But that doesn't make it feel right. Tommy was like my brother... and I just kicked him out of his home and he worked so hard and-"

Dream placed his hand on Tubbo's shoulder and Tubbo looked up into his blank black eyes on his mask. "You're the president," he stated almost in the way of a threat, gripping his shoulder hard. "Don't lean towards favoritism."

"It's not-" Tubbo began to reply, but Dream had already walked away. 

Tubbo knew Dream was playing his own games, cruely using the people around him to get the discs that he and Tommy seemed to care about so much and Tubbo also knew Tommy was kind of like that too. It was all either of them cared about, selfishness running them rigid, and it reminded Tubbo of Schlatt. So Tubbo began to believe that Tommy's banishment was the right thing no matter how much it hurt because there could never be another Schlatt.

There could never be another Schlatt.

There could never be another Schlatt.

At seventeen, Tubbo's horns had stopped growing and they were a perfect lookalike of his fathers. Tubbo hated them more than anything in the world.

Everything in his life was piling up, in the span of only one year Tubbo had been in two wars, one grueling emotionally destroying election, painfully been reunited with his dead-beat parent, banished his own best friend and felt himself slip into a sort of insanity.

He was breaking down and now he didn't have Tommy or Wilbur to rely on, no more Phil to tell him things were going to be okay, and no more hope left inside of him to keep him moving forward. Tubbo was running on the hatred of his father and everything that looked like him and Tubbo happened to be his perfect lookalike. 

In Tubbo's home there was one one mirror left, an old one with a rusty frame and glass that was losing it's shine. Ever since he realized his similarities to his father, Tubbo would only make himself look at the distorted mirror once a day as a punishment. A punishment in the fear of him becoming his father.

It felt degrading, standing in the mirror with his suit on and hair slicked back, frowning because recently he could hardly do it anymore, and with bags under his eyes since he couldn't seem sleep well anymore. All the energy Tubbo did get from his two or three hours of sleep were used during to day to smile with Quackity or Fundy or Ranboo, to pretend that it was all okay and that he was fine but as soon as he went home Tubbo went right to the mirror to remind him of everything he hated.

The horns were the things that Tubbo despised the most about himself. When he was younger, all that he wanted were horns like his father. He wanted them to look strong like his dad and to look like the badass Tommy envisioned himself to be, but now all they brought Tubbo was shame. They stood out, they branded him as Schlatt Jr., the boy who was beginning to follow in his father's footsteps and it made Tubbo want to cry. If only they would go away, if only they could disappear. He would give anything to no longer have his horns.

So he decided to try to remove them himself.

But he couldn't.

He wasn't strong enough, he was selfish. Just like Tommy and Dream. Just like his father.

Tubbo had stood in the mirror with a blade in his hand, his arm raised to the base of his horn, pressing itself hard into the horn only so that it went in only about a inch. A searing bright red pain flashed in Tubbo's eyes, as he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. He had been standing there, just like that, slowly cutting of his left horn for two hours now. His arm screamed in pain and his brain yelled at him to stop but he couldn't, he had to do this to prove something. He had to, he had to, he had to.

He didn't want to.

He began to cry. 

He continued to stand there for another hour before he collapsed to the ground, the blade clattering to the other side of his room as he curled up in a ball on the ground.

"Oh god," he cried, rocking back and forth. "I just need help, please! A-anybody..."

Tubbo remained there on the floor and time flew by. He continued to cry and rock and cry some more, unable to comprehend the burning pain from his horn and unable to process the raging headache that thumped in his head.

Tubbo didn't even hear when someone knocked on his door and called his name, he didn't hear when that someone walked up his creaky stairs, and he sure didn't hear when that someone opened his door and gasped when he wad Tubbo on the ground.

Ranboo rushed over to Tubbo as soon as he saw the blade and processed what had happened. He called out his name and reached to put his hand on Tubbo's back when the other finally realized someone was in his room. Tubbo sat up quickly and screamed, stumbling over his feet to move backwards. He hit the wall and choked on his own tears.

"Tubbo," Ranboo said softly. "Hey, it's okay. You're okay. It's just me." The taller boy crouched down and put his hands in the air.

Tubbo narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the blurry image of his friend, "Ranboo?"

The other smiled kindly, "Yeah, it's me. I came by because you let me borrow some stuff and I wanted to return it," he moved slowly, closer to Tubbo. "I didn't mean to scare you... I was worried something happened to you and-"

"You were w-worried?" Tubbo interrupted, trying profoundly to wipe away his tears.

"I could tell something was up," Ranboo responded. "I just never thought- I didn't think it would be this." Ranboo looked at his horn. "Jesus, Tubbo, you could have talked to me. You need to talk to me because that's what friends do, okay? They talk and they help each other and I don't know what's going on but I'll do whatever I can to help you. I promise, I promise, and I promise one thousand times again-"

Tubbo pulled him into a hug and Ranboo's eyes widened with surprise. He hugged the taller boy hard and cried, "I miss him s-so much! I'm such an asshole... I'm such a bad friend! And I don't want to be the next Schlatt and I hate these stupid fucking horns," he hiccuped and Ranboo rubbed his back reassuringly. "I don't wanna be like him... I don't want to be my dad..."

"You aren't," Ranboo replied quietly. "You'll never be like him."

**Author's Note:**

> when you put some of your own trauma into a mcyt fanfic 😻
> 
> this fic was actually inspired by the song 'babooshka' by kate bush! ive only recently got into the fandom but the dad!schlatt au has become my favorite thing and i love angst so shout out to mommy/daddy issues
> 
> also my friend wants a schlatt pov of this story so if anyone else who ends up reading this wants one lemme know in the comments :)


End file.
